Season 2 - It's Falling Apart

I think it's safe to say that this is not our season but has not stopped it being super exciting all the way through, we started with a ridiculously good start that had given us high hopes for the season, but unfortunately fitness levels and the constant fixtures has ripped the team apart and as a result, form has gone to the wasteland. We are still having some high moments as you'll see below, but also a lot of low moments too. So let's start with what the main thing is within this game, the results! Although there will be a couple of extra things in this post compared to the usual ones due to what has happened within these 2 months.

The Matches

Newcastle 2 - 2 Leeds

We start off with a questionable draw at home to Leeds, I say questionable because I'm really not sure how we haven't taken all 3 points from this game other than poor finishing and poor defending in moments to match it. We started strong and within the first 2 minutes we force a superb save out of Ramsdale and then we hit the bar on the follow up. We did eventually get our breakthrough on the 22nd minute when Frimpong whips in a cross from the right which lands perfectly for Moerstedt to tap in for the lead. We created plenty more chances but was unable to double our lead in the first half. Instead we had to wait until the 57th minute when they try and play it out from the back, and Kuol is able to pounce and win it back for us, he switches it to the opposite wing for Le Bris who brings it back inside then lays it off back to Kuol who slots it under the keeper to make it 2-0. Ten minutes later they recycle a corner that we clear and it comes back to Greenwood who took the corner and he's able to find space in the box and finish it. They then whip in a cross and Garcia is beaten at the back post for a header by Gnoto to level it all up. A frustrating way to drop points from such a commanding position, but it's just more evidence that the fitness in this team is suffering and hopefully in the long term it is something we can solve.

Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle

This one we never looked like getting anything from and we actually did brilliantly to only keep it to 1-0. Their first major chance came on the half hour mark where if it wasn't for some superb last ditch blocking by Doukoure then we'd be down already. Then just on the stroke of half time they took a long range effort that hit the bar but again we hold on and we went in level at the break. We tried to get into the team at half time but got no response from the players on the pitch, and eventually we conceded when Hall played a tired pass that is easily intercepted, they then switch it from the left to the right and break down that wing for Iling to finish under Mycael from close range. For the last ten minutes they must have started to switch off, as we suddenly got a couple of chances. The first being Bueno playing it through for Sesko but he completely fluffed his shot and sends it wide. A few moments later Bruno hits a long range effort that takes multiple deflections, ricochets to Sesko who is able to finish this time, only for the offside flag to rule it out and we lose 1-0.

Brentford 2 - 0 Newcastle

More dropped points up next, and our form just seems to look like it's never going to improve even when we play better. This game was very even but it was taken by who took their chances, and it wasn't us again. Despite all the chances in the first half we had to wait until the 40th minute for the breakthrough when their corner was headed in by Rosario for his first goal for Brentford. Sesko did come very close to getting us an equaliser just before half time but his effort was tipped wide and we go in 1-0 down at half time. Second half continues the same vein, and a bit of a positive for us when Isak makes his return from injury on the 55th minute. Unfortunately 5 minutes later Mycael comes to meet a cross and completely misjudges it, the ball goes over the top of him and gives them a simple tap in for their second. The awful form in the league continues.

Newcastle 2 - 1 Man City

The awful form is a thing, until we play one of the big teams in the league, please make it make sense! Not only did we get the win over Man City but we fully deserved it too as we were by far the better team on the day. They were first when we kicked off for this game to make the task seem more difficult, and it did look like we were going to have another one of those days when in the 17th minute we tackle Lewis in the box and the loose ball falls to De Bruyne who is able to smash it in for 1-0. However a few moments later Frimpong gets the ball out wide and cuts in to the edge of the box, he then makes for the byline and hits it across the front of goal where Sesko is waiting to tap it in to equalise. We continue our pressure and just before half time Hall hits the bar from a free kick but it stays 1-1 when the whistle blows. In the second half we stayed on top, and finally got our lead when Hall plays a deep cross and it's met by an oncoming Pino to hit first time and past the keeper. We then get one final scare when in the 95th minute a free kick is met by Haaland and he heads it down to be volleyed in with the last kick off the game, but the offside flag saves us and we take all 3 points.

Liverpool 1 - 2 Newcastle (Carabao Cup Final)

For all the misery the league form is currently giving us, we get a major moment of joy in the Carabao Cup. It was a very closely contested final and both teams had chances to win it but in the end it was us and we claim our first trophy of the save. Anything Eddie Howe can do, I can do too! It was a very quiet first half in terms of major chances, but in the 35th minute we should have taken the lead when Hall gives it to Gordon for a tap in, but he kicks it straight at the defender in front of him and we come away with nothing. A few moments later they get the lead when Konate meets a corner and heads it home for 1-0. In the second half a few more chances happen but we do start to take control of the tie a little bit more, and we were eventually rewarded when we take a corner and it's punched clear by a Liverpool defender. The referee spots it and gives the penalty, which Isak steps up and beats the keeper to make it 1-1. This was it for the initial 90 minutes and the game went to extra time and all I could think was please not penalties. Fortunately my team felt the same way and went out to win it first. Frimpong went close in the first half of extra time when his close range effort was deflected out for a corner. Moments later it's Frimpong again who breaks down the right and plays it in to Kuol, who lays it in once more for Nypan who bursts into the box and finds the far bottom corner to give us the win.

Newcastle 3 - 0 Blackburn (FA Cup 5th Round)

Sticking with the cups we then had Blackburn in the 5th round of the FA Cup and we were dominant. So much so that we didn't even let them have a single shot in the game. We thought we got a nice early lead when Kuol slips it through for Isak and he fires into the far corner, only to be ruled out for offside. We then went quiet on the chances front and seen it through to half time at 0-0. In the second half we again get an early goal, as Le Bris makes space down the left and cuts it across for Isak... who once again is offside and it's ruled out. Fortunately on the hour mark we had a corner, it got cleared by Nypan was able to recover the clearance and made a run for it towards the box, and without anyone trying to stop him he just kept going and going and found himself on the six yard box and able to finish it into the corner to give us the lead. Gordon then doubled our lead when he took a free kick from the right hand side, curled it round the wall and straight in for 2-0. Then to round it all off Nypan plays it out wide to Livramento who is in space, and his cross is pinpoint for Gordon to head home his second of the game and our third. We win 3-0 in the most comfortable of circumstances, and we have West Ham in the quarter finals.

Newcastle 2 - 2 Norwich

We go back to the league and suddenly all the form we've just picked up through the cup run and beating Man City vanishes again. We think we're off to a flyer when Hackett wins the ball back on the left and lays it into Gordon who takes an effort from the edge of the box and beats the keeper to give us the lead. Believing we could only go on from there and keep winning, we created a few more chances but unable to score them and we went in only 1-0 at half time. Still feeling pretty confident we were shocked when straight after the kick off whistle they work the ball down our left and get it into the box where they've got a player waiting to tap it in to equalise. To make matters worse we knew we had PSG away next and decided to rest some key players for that game by taking them off. We almost get rewarded by having the fresh players when Joelinton has two efforts in close succession but the first is blocked and then the second saved by the keeper. We swing in the resulting corner which they get on the end off to head away but not too far, but Barnes is on the edge of the box attempts the bicycle kick and sticks it in the top corner. We think we've won the game with such a special goal, but a minute later they get in the box down our left again and able to slide it under the keeper to level it back up. A poor result but one of the moments of the season in this game.

PSG 2 - 1 Newcastle (Champions League Round of 16)

We ended up holding our own in this game and were unlucky to lose, but I think the quality of their attacking players in the end was able to outweigh our defence currently. Dembele takes a free kick which is won in the air and finds its way back to Dembele, who is able to volley it in to give them the lead with their first shot of the game. Wirtz comes close with 2 long range free kicks but we end up going in 1-0 at half time. In the second half Pino does brilliantly down the right hand side and gets a cross in which is met at the back post by Gordon for the equaliser. However they were able to restore their lead not too long after that when they break into the box and our defenders end up on the wrong side so can't make a tackle without bringing them down, and as a result they're able to get their pass in to the centre of the box for Ruiz to score from close range. This certainly feels a game we can turn round at our ground if we play anything like we did in this first leg.

Bournemouth 1 - 2 Newcastle

With this game being in between the two PSG games and our league form essentially ruling us out of any title race we rotated the team to play preference for the Champions League. However the rotated team manage to pull off a win for us which has been quite a rare sight over the last few months in the league. Bueno almost gave us the lead early with a free kick from the edge of the box but it came back off the post. They managed to get the lead in the 34th minute when a shot from just inside the box takes a deflection and wrong foots Mycael. At this point I'm thinking here we go again. However Le Bris whips it centrally and Bueno takes a clever touch to redirect it past the defenders and through for Isak who is able to smash it past the keeper to level it up just before half time. It was a quiet second half, but the one moment of note was the goal that gave us the win. We worked the ball from left to right and Lima is able to get into the box and cuts it back in for Barnes who just hits it as hard as he can leaving the keeper with no chance and us the lead. Considering how rotated the team was, this was an excellent win.

Newcastle 0 - 1 PSG (Champions League Round of 16)

Unfortunately we did indeed play like we did in the first leg and got the same unlucky result. Our Champions League run is over against a formidable PSG team where we have matched them step for step other than scoring the opportunities. Isak is our only fit striker for this game so there is a place on the bench for 17 year old Ridel. We have a strong opening 20 minutes where we have done literally everything but put the ball in the back of the net. Gordon slides one through for Isak who does manage to score but he's gone too early and the goal is disallowed for offside. We end up getting punished for not taking the chances whilst on top and they take the lead when a deep cross is met for a close range header to give them the advantage. In the second half we should have got at least the one goal back if it wasn't for Donnarumma keeping them in it. Late on Wirtz hits the bar with a free kick as well just to really seal it that we aren't going to get a goal in this game and as a result we lose 3-1 on aggregate and crash out of the Champions League.

Newcastle 2 - 0 West Ham (FA Cup Quarter Finals)

Fortunately we didn't carry on that disappointment into the next game where we keep our FA Cup chances alive by getting a pretty comfortable win over West Ham. We get the early lead in the 10th minute when Livramento plays a low cross that gets blocked, but Gordon is able to get a foot in to tackle them and it falls to Bueno who hits it from close range to make it 1-0. The rest of the first half was a close game but neither team were able to take any chances. In the second half we stepped up the pressure a bit more and thought we had the chance to double our lead when Gordon goes down in the box after a coming together and the referee gives a penalty, but the VAR rule it out and we don't get that chance. Just as the game is coming to a close, Bueno plays Isak through who takes the shot, it gets saved but the rebound can only fall to Pino who taps it into the open goal to seal our Semi Final place where we will meet Arsenal.

Chelsea 2 - 1 Newcastle

Unfortunately you take us out of the cups and our performances dry right up in the league. The game against Chelsea was a very dull affair, and even then we come away losing. In fairness Chelsea are doing well at the moment and currently top of the league before we kick off for our game. We almost take the lead very early when a shot from within the 6 yard box is blocked off the line and it comes to nothing. They get the lead shortly afterwards though when a long ball over the top from the keeper sets Palmer free and he is able to cut it back for Felix to open the scoring. Midway through the first half Isak pops up on the right wing to get some space for himself and he's able to play it in to the area of the box where Gordon is coming in to to hit low and hard for the equaliser. We think we're going in 1-1 at half time however they take a deep cross and somehow Frimpong is beaten in the air by Sterling who heads it in for 2-1. The second half had absolutely nothing happen and much like our season, fizzled out into nothing much.

Competitions

Premier League

Our league form has took a massive hit, and we drop down to 8th place but with European football already confirmed due to our cup win. It is worth noting though that despite being in poor form, we're still only 4 points off Europa League places and 8 points off Champions League, so we could still potentially claw something back if we can sort out the dodgy spell. Chelsea have took the initiative at the right part of the season with a 6 point gap at the top now as we come into the final few games and Forest are doing what they can to cling on to that Champions League spot. At the other end of the table, Everton look like they're going to be gone however who is joining them is still up for grabs as Norwich, Burnley, Leeds and Bournemouth are all separated by 4 points currently with 2 places available to go down.

Champions League

As mentioned our run ended in the round of 16 and we were in some good company for it as Lazio, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Valencia, Bayern Munich, Spurs and Liverpool all join us in going out. It's a nice thing actually to see Spurs got knocked out by Arsenal, I wonder if they can win it two years in a row. Them, Man City and Villa are the only remaining English teams in the competition and they're joined by Atletico Madrid, PSG, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund so there's a decent chance there for an English team again.

NXGN

We mentioned this award last year as it's always an exciting one, it's the best young player in the world under the age of 19. Last year we didn't have anyone in it but we wanted to start changing that but winning it seems a long way off. Zaire-Emery of PSG was the winner of it this year but more surprising was that we actually had 2 players in the top 10. Moerstedt was 3rd and Nypan our new signing from January is 9th.

We actually ended up with 4 players in the top 50, with Monamay coming 23rd and Salia coming 45th so quite a good showing for us this year. Salia I should point out is a player Newcastle already had joining the club, he's a young Georgian striker who I thought looks okay but nothing special, but apparently he's performances are saying otherwise and he's getting noticed. I wonder how many more we can get in there next year, and if we can find a player to win it too.

Youth Intake

Now the youth intake in the first year wasn't great so there wasn't anyone worth mentioning, however this year we've had 2 young players come through who have potential to get somewhere if we can sort it. Whilst not world beaters by any means, they're the best we've had come through so far and I'll make sure in each season to highlight our best couple of players coming through the youth system when it happens.

The best of the group was Emmanuel Alimi, a midfielder suited to either of our 2 roles and I think he will have the better development going for the advanced playmaker role as his passing and vision is already good, so we can iron out the things that need improving a little more and keep him developing the skills he already has. We will see if there's any chance for him in and around the first team over the next few years.

The other potential good addition is centre back John Healy. There is quite a bit of work to do with him really but there's nothing there to say he can't make it just yet. I do believe there's more chance of him being someone we develop and sell on but we will spend the next few years working out the plan for him and trying to see if he can bring something to the team whether that be ability or value.

Next Time

Up next we have the final run in off the season, will we be able to salvage anything from the league this season or could we potentially add a second trophy with the FA Cup? There's a few possibilities left for this year so it's not completely finished just yet and hopefully we can swing it to a positive season. Would you like to make your League winner predictions now? What about the FA Cup, reckon we can do the domestic double? We will also look at next season at the end of this one where we will review our year and see who we think is worth selling now and keeping, where we want to strengthen and essentially lay out our plans and aims for season 3 and the transfer window ahead.